When kingdoms come
by superbanana
Summary: Its the end, everythings peaceful... hahaha Im just kidding, theres drama, angst, anarchy, romance and a little humour but most of all Arthur and Suzy are in BIG trouble. Rated cautiously. ON HOLD


A/N: At the request of Eiedolon Iv started writing this story for him, although I hadnt intended to write any more KTTK fics dont know why cuz they rock but meh, its going to be fairly long, around thirty chapters hopefuly, and I hope you enjoy it (maybe this is the point where I should draw your attention to the long box at the bottom that says 'review', just saying :)) Ill be updating weekly although it may go a bit either way of that depending. Anyway read and have fun my leiblings.

Garth Nix owns everything, seriously even the things that noone can talking major ownage here people.

* * *

Arthur was tired, despite the fact he was now part Denizen his remaining mortality. The past few weeks had mostly been a blur for him as he was carried around his many new domains in the Upper House, the initial high after he succeeded in getting the seventh key from Lord Sunday was now fading into nothing as the reality of the situation became more obvious.

The House, which had never been completely safe, was now near collapse from the many careless endeavours of the former trusties. The many breaches in the Border Sea had meant random ships and weirdly shaped things that Arthur thought looked like something from the sci-fi movies he'd watched with his brothers when he was younger had appeared and disappeared to their own and different worlds, creating panic in many dimensions.

The Far Reaches were no better, the workers were constantly in danger from Nothing explosions and the casualties had been terrible, the Great Maze was horribly damaged by giant nithling attacks and most of the older generals and strategists had been either killed or badly wounded. The millions of humans that had been stolen by Friday were still being taken home, while at the same time even more bodies had been found, obviously drained of life and left like bones on the side of a plate, and any attempt at help was held up by the Lower Houses clogged up postal services, Arthur couldn't understand how the former trusties had done so much damage.

The former trustees, yes they were another problem. Frowning, Arthur pondered the use of 'former', technically since he had the keys, Sunday and Saturday could not cause any more trouble for him, and yet... and yet reports of a rebellion were coming in every 20 minutes or so. In the panic of Arthurs Victory both trustees had slipped away in some weird way or other and now he was being given advice from everyone and anyone, even Suzy had whispered some ridiculous strategy to him when the Will was elsewhere. Arthurs smiled slightly at the thought of Suzy directing some unseen force then shuddered at the thought of her being destroyed by a faceless Nithling.

Not really wanting to Arthur pulled his mind back into the present. Dame Primus, armed with her ever growing list had many ideas. So many in fact, that they had been sitting in this room for at least two days with only the Dawns, Noons and Dusks for company. Dame Primus had already gone through an overview of her thoughts, which had been that it would be best to go to the Far Reaches first of all and banish away the Nothing and had hinted, or as close to a hint as a member designed for the house was capable of, that he should take all the keys and become a full Denizen.

She hadn't said it outright though, there had been a lot of lists and statistics and at one extremely low point a flip chart had been produced with such eagerness it had made Arthur's head hurt.

At first there had been some confusion to whether Arthur was leaving but from the reports coming in it looked like he would not be going home any time soon, much to the Will's pleasure. At that moment Arthur was staring glassy eyed at the many people surrounding him. He was sitting in a room that reminded him of cathedral. There was a large dome, high above them that was made of some strange green glass, through it he could see giant winged creatures and brilliantly coloured plants that looked suspiciously liked seaweed.

Currently the unstoppable tide of facts were pointed towards Doctor Scamandros who was standing right beside Arthur. Scamandros seemed to be slightly afraid as the Will, who had been talking to him for the last two hours continued with fierce precision.

'Over 1900 weird ways have been numerated on this list, Lord Arthur-,' a curt nod was directed at him, Arthur who had found himself falling asleep snapped his head back up and the Will, perhaps taking it as a nod back continued with renewed vigour. '- And myself have decided, in the name of the Architect, that it would be best for these weird ways to be closed down permanently. It is important that we should not become lapse, we should not break down from the law** there should be NO** **INTERFERENCE!**'

On the last words thick type burst over Dame Primus's face, words like 'The law is the law is the law is the law." Traced over her jaw and were gone. Arthur felt the hairs rise on the back of his neck and the others jolt as though stung by some electric current before she continued. "Furthermore-"

"-Wait," interrupted Arthur, "can we just have the quick version. I'm tired and I know that I have to know all this stuff but a few hours sleep are going to have to be arranged, please" he added as an afterthought, imagining his mother scolding him for not using manners.

For a moment Dame Primus seemed to swell like the bull frog part of her had once been and the others in the room shifted their feet nervously, but before anymore words could be said the large oak doors were slammed open. Every head in the room turned towards the intruder which quickly was identified as a small Denizen in a pair of yellow tights and red tunic with a feather in his rather squashed hat. He was waving something in the air and the flash of yellow papyrus paper caught in the green glow of the giant glass domes light. The man was obviously yelling but the words took a few seconds to carry over the large empty hall. Then, like a brick wall the words hit them all with such force it shocked Arthur.

"Traitor! Lord Arthur, Dame Primus, there's a traitor in the ranks!" The room froze as everyone turned to look at Arthur and Dame Primus, no one spoke. No one even seemed to breathe as the small messenger ran further towards them shaking the letter in his hand like a flag.

* * *

Suzy, completely unaware of any such trouble was sitting outside the entrance to the tent door that Arthur and the rest of the posh nobs had gone off into. She was sitting with her back to a pillar which had been purposely chipped and aged, it was lying in a large field of blue grass, a few feet away was the tent that Arthur and the others had used to go somewhere else. Without her.

Suzy's lips pursed at the last thought, she _was_ Mondays Tierce after all and she and Artie had pretty much saved the house on their own! Huffily she pulled her hat off her head and pulled a ham sandwich from within it. Her eyes wandered over the canvas flap again a she slowly savoured the thin meat stretched over the dull tasting bread. How long were they going to be?

They couldn't be much longer, Arthur was going to have to sleep at sometime... not that she was concerned or anything, she just thought that _someone_ should be useful. Feeling slightly silly Suzy looked down at one of her coats which she'd lain on the floor next to her and the rolled up jumper she'd placed at the top like a pillow. Maybe that had been a bit over the top. Sighing in frustration Suzy admitted to herself that he'd probably gone to sleep in there. _He doesn't have to come back_. A rare frown bent her eyebrows into a V shape.

Frustrated and annoyed she jumped up and stared around the clearing. There were a few others standing far off, orderlies and big wigs, Suzy didn't really like talking to them much, they always stared at her like they couldn't understand the words _and they call mortals stupid, _thought Suzy.

'Psst,' came a voice form the bushes behind her. Suzy spun quickly, her hand reaching towards the small knife noon had given her to use until she was good enough to use a sword without cutting her own hand off (it happened once and she had been doing really good up until that point).

'Psst,' said the bush for a second time. This time Suzy followed the noise more closely and focused on a thicket to the left of the main branch.

'Ere, what you playin' at in there?" replied Suzy. There was a pause and then a small Denizen crawled out, he was not short but his back was hunched and he seemed to be permanently bent double. His clothes were slightly frayed at the edges and although his face was clean there were a few grey hairs at his temples which must have been for show, Denizens didn't age after all.

'Suzanna, Mondays Tierce? I am Eiedolon level three messenger of the Lower House; I have an urgent message for you from Lord Arthur. He says that he wishes to see you immediately.' Said the Denizen, he had a faintly deep voice but it wasn't nearly as powerful as Noon or Dame Primey, _or Arthur _added a little voice in the back of her head, Suzy ignored it.

'Right, knew they couldn't last wi'out me, thanks chum.' Nodding her head to the man she turned to go into the tent but found herself being pulled back with surprising force.

'No. They had to go to the Citadel there's been an incident at the gate and Lord Arthurs asked for his best people to advise him,' said Eiedolon, still holding onto her arm. Suzy frowned slightly at the news that Arthur had gone off without her, again. It didn't seem likely, but then he had been acting strangely lately.

'Alright then, 'ow we s'pposed to get there then, eh? She asked. In answer the Denizen motioned towards the bush,

'There's a Weird Way through here that leads directly to the Citadel, I must hurry you though madam, there's little time.' Frowning Suzy stared at the hole the Denizen had pointed to, it was quite small, she'd have to crouch down to fit. Speeding up when the Denizen began to make little circling motions with his hands she bent onto her knees and crawled into the Weird way.

There was the usual pulsing feeling around her as she pushed her way towards the exit, some twenty feet away. Behind her she could hear the Denizen puffing as he followed her in. The air was static and through the membrane translucent covering of the Weird Way she could see shadows, just out of reach. After a few minutes of crawling Suzy pushed through the exit head first. Which was why she landed on the floor head first, as she fell Suzy said a bad word.

The exit had been on top of a large, high bookcase and she tumbled to the floor with a loud thud. Getting her breath back Suzy rolled onto her back in time to see Eiedolon poking his feet through the exit way first and then jumping out to land gracefully beside her.

Getting to her feet, Suzy muttered 'Might 'ave told me there was a drop. Anyway where are we, 'ow far away is Arthur and Dame Primey?' It took a few seconds for her to realise that he hadn't replied, puzzled she turned her head and saw the Denizen straightening up, suddenly he seemed a lot taller.

'Oh, there far away by now,' said Eidolon, who suddenly seemed much more of a threat, _where did his hunchback go? _Instinctively, Suzy took a step back as the Denizen walked towards her, desperately she groped in her sleeve for the slim knife, but knew that it probably wouldn't do any good.

Wide eyed, she watched him pull out a long sword, black with small lights shimmering in the hilt like stars, from nowhere. 'You and your so called Lord Arthur have been causing all sorts of trouble for my master, I'm afraid it's time you were removed.' Poised for the first strike Suzy was ready when the first blow came.

She jumped sideways as the sword slashed forward and went straight through a stuffed armchair behind her. Backing away she waited for his second strike. The next swing landed centimetres away from her left arm and stuck in the wall, Suzy slashed the dagger into the Denizens arm and jumped past him towards the bookcase, climbing as if she was a grease monkey all over again. Swinging from shelf to shelf, she tried not to look back as she heard the sword being dragged out of the wall with a cracking noise.

Pulling her legs up she just missed the blades slice as it broke two shelves below her which came away from the back of the case and almost made her fall with them. With a mutter of rage Eiedolon made another attempt which finally hit home and sliced into her left leg, muffling her cry of pain Suzy pulled herself onto the top shelf and pushed her way into the Weird Way. It seemed she was just in time behind her she heard the thump of a book case hitting a large Denizen. Good.

Gasping in pain she dragged herself across the Weird way but it seemed that the distant was much longer and her leg seemed to be bleeding a horrible purply-red blood that couldn't be healthy, _sword must be nothing tipped_ she thought grimly. Groggily she became aware that she might not be able to make the exit, the spongy floor beneath her though was warm and comfortable and the exit was so far after all. Maybe... maybe it would be okay to lie down here just for a little while...


End file.
